Smelting furnace



927 T. LEWIN SMELTING FURNACE Filed July 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO)? HTT'OENEY BYWW . 1,640,574 1927- "r. LEW!N SMELTING FURNACE Filed July 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- Tann/e A W/f).

QT ORMEY V of the furnace; and

Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TANNIE LEWIN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM LEWIN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

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Application filed July 8, 1925. Serial 'No. 41,839.

This invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in furnaces for the smelting of ores and secondary metals.

In present day reverberatory furnaces, so

far as I am aware, the lining, under the intense heat to which it is subjected, requires frequent tearing down and replacement, which naturally increases operating costs, and at the same time causes a loss of many hours of smelting time. Frequently also the charge, to prevent freezing, as it is termed, must be more or less thoroughly agitated by manually operated stirrers, which likewise adds to operating costs. Further, fuel costs are large, all with the result that the smelting of especially secondary metals or socalled residue in present day standard reverberatory furnaces is more or less difficult and unsatisfactory and often unprofitable.

My present invention has hence for its chief object the provision of a reverberatory furna of rotary type that may be conveniently charged and poured, in which the heat of ignited and burning fuel is conserved and directly and through and by the lining of the shell, indirectly delivered to the charge, and by which the smelting of ores and secondary metals may be accomplished rapidly, thoroughly, economically, and with resultlng rofit. p And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter de scribed and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a smelting furnace embodying my invention; Figure 2 is a fragmental view of the furnace showing the pouring-spout in side elevation;

Figure 3 illustrates the driving mechanism Figure 4 is a front end elevation,'-partly broken away and in section, of the furnace,

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my 1nvention, the body of the furnace is in the form of a suitably elongated sheet or plate metal cylindrical shell 1 of preferably uniform dlameter, lined throughout with firebrick, fire-clay, or other suitable refractory material 2. Shell 1 is of suitable dimensionslength and diameterand, owing to 1ts more or less extended length,.is preferably re-lnforced, as shown, by circumferentially disposed rigidly fixed angle-rings 3 against buckling or distortion under the influence of the high temperatures to-which it is in practice subjected. Also rigidly fixed to and circumferentially upon the shell 1, and assisting 01' co-operating in such relnforcement of, as Well as also providin annular tracks or ways for, shell 1, are pre erably flat rings or bands 4, by which latter the shell 1 is supported for bodily rotation in a horizontal plane 011 preferably flanged rollers 5 suitably journaled in pillow-blocks 6 bolted or otherwise fixed to a preferably I-beam foundation 7.

Closing the ends and forming part of shell 1, are suitably lined disk-shaped heads 8, 8, preferably in half sections each detachably held in place to facilitate shell-relining by tie-rods 9 engaging the tracks or bands 4, as best seen in Figure 1. The heads 8 are preferably of identical and interchangeable construction and, in practice, to permit charging of the furnace at both ends are centrally apertured, as at 10, and provided with closures therefor in the form preferably of hinged doors or gates 11 equipped with suitable preferably eccentric locking devices 12, each door or gate 11 being, in turn, formed with an aperture or opening, as at 13, for purposes shortly appearing.

Riveted or otherwise rigidly fixed upon, and having a discharge-passage 14 communicating with the interior of, shell 1, is a suitably lined pouring-spout 15 so shaped and formed, as best seen in Figures 1, 2, and 4, that the discharge-passage 14 is disposed tangentially of shell 1. Adapted for disposition upon the spout 15 and removably held in place by hinge-bolts or the like 16, is a closure preferably in the form of a suitably lined plate or lid- 17 for the discharge-passage 14.

Rigidly fixed circumferentially upon shell 1, is an annular rack 18, meshing with which is a pinion 19, fixed upon a shaft 20 journaled for rotation in suitable bearings 21. Also fixed on shaft 21, is a worm-wheel 22, meshing, in turn, with a worm 23 mounted on a shaft 23 journaled for rota.- tion in bearings 24. Fixed onshaft 23,

is a gear 25 having meshing engagement with a pinion 26 fixed on a third shaft 27 journaled for rotation in bearings 28, and also fixed on shaft 27 is a gear 29 in mesh with, and rotarily driven by, a pinion 30 fixed on a fourth shaft 31 journaled for rotation in suitable bearings 32, one only of which is here shown. Supported on shaft 31, is preferably the femalemember 33 of a suitable cone-clutch adapted to engage and co-operate with the male-member 34'attached by a flexible coupling 35 to the armature-shaft of a suitable motor 36, the latter being. operatively included in an electric circuit controlled by a suitable switch 46.. By the mechanism described, it will be seen that the shell 1 may not only be constantly rotated, but also that it may bestopped, started, and its rotation controlled and regulated at the will of the operator.

Movably attached to a suitable source of liquid fuel, oil or gas, supply (not shown) and communicating with a discharge-nozzle 37 normally disposed, as shown,'in alignment with the aperture or opening 13 of the one, or so-called front-end, door 11, is a feedpipe 38 having a fuel feed control valve 39; and likewise movably attached to a suitable source of compressed air supply (not shown) and communicating with nozzle 37 is a supply-pipe 40 provided with a suitable regulating valve 41.

Disposed at the other or so-called rear end of shell 1, is a flue 42, preferably hinged to which, as'at 45, for purposes soon to appear, and normally disposed in operative alignment with the opening 13 of the rear door 11, is a flue continuation in the form of an elbow 43.

In use and practice, the furnace is charged from either or bothends through the apertures 10 normally closed by the doors 11, and to conveniently flue-elbow 43 is ingedly raised, as by means of a rope or chain 44, and nozzle 37 swung to one side out of its illustrated normal position. The furnace being so charged, nozzle 37 and elbow 43 returned to normal position, and lid or plate 17 locked to its seat over the discharge-outlet 14, the shell 1 is caused to rotate through and by the mechanism described, andI may here add that the shell 1 is maintained in constant rotation during the smelting of the charge. The fuelmixture being ignited at the nozzle 37, the flame of the sprayed fuel under pressure enters shell 1 -at the front door-aperture 13 and the heat thereof spreads over the charge substantially from end to end throughout the length of the shell and serves and functions not only directly to reduce or melt the charge, but also to heat the interior of the shell and the lining 2 as it is exposed in the rotation of the shell, the so heated lining, in turn, as the shell rotates, constantlpermit of such charging thely assisting by reflection or reverberation.

duction of the charge is effected with agreat saving in both fuel costs and lining replacements, the gases or other such products of combustion during reduction of the charge finding ready exhaust through rear-door opening 13 and the adjacent flue 42--43. And I might statehere that, while in the present standard reverberatory furnaces, the iron and other impurities in the molten mass are removed by hand rabbling or by the injection of air for agitation, in my furnace the iron and other impurities are thrown to the surface by the action of rotation of the shell, where they are oxidized by the air entering the door-apertures,

The charge being so reduced or smelted, rotation of shell 1 is stopped and lid or plate 17 removed. The surface slag, or in other words, the oxidized-iron impurities, are first skimmed off at the outlet 15, and the shell 1 then suitably at the will of the operator manipulated for pouring which latter operation is greatly facilitated by the tangential disposition of the discharge-passage 14, which effects substantially a complete removal of the contents of the shell and permits a convenient and expeditious emptying of the shell at its side instead offrom underneath. It will, of course, be understood that to the charge may be added from time to time during reduction such elements or ingredients as may by tests be found necessary to the end that the final poured alloy may have the desired or required composition.

My furnace is relatively simple in form and construction, may be charged and poured with'facility, when required may be relined with ease and convenience, and from use and practice has been found exceedingly efiicient in effecting complete and thorough reduction or melting at a greatly re duced cost both in fuel and labor and with a large saving bothin melting time and lining replacements. It will be noted that both the nozzle 37 and exhaust flue-elbow 43 are suitably spaced fromthe shell, which construction permits freedom of rotation of the shell at all times and obviates heat transfer from the shell to the nozzle or elbow.

I am aware that changes in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my new furnace may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

ent is:

1. In a smelting furnace, an elongated cylindrical shell, closure-heads disposed on the ends of the shell, rings fixed circumferentially about the shell adjacent the ends thereof, and fastening members engaging the heads and rings for detachably securing the heads to the shell.

2. In a smelting furnace, an elongated cylindrical shell, sectional closure-heads disposed on the ends of the shell, rings fixed circumferentially about the shell adjacent the ends thereof, and elongated bolts engaging the ringsand the head-sections for detachably securing the latter to the shell.

3. In a smelting furnace, an elongated cylindrical shell, a head secured on an end of the shell and having a charge-opening, and a gate for the opening of the head, the gate being swingably mounted upon the head and having a fuel-aperture.

4. In a smelting furnace, an. elongated cylindrical shell, a head secured on an end of the shell and havin a charge-opening, and a gate for the opening of the head the gate being swingably mounted on the head and having a fuel-aperture, in combination with means for injecting burning fuel into the shell through the aperture of the gate,

said means including a nozzle having a discharge-opening normally disposed in alignment with and closely adjacent the gateaperture, the nozzle being swingable relatively to the shell and its gate for permitting swingable movement of the gate.

5. In a smelting furnace, an elongated cylindrical shell, an apertured head secured on an end of the shell, and a gate for the aperture of the head, the gate being swingably mounted on the head and having an exhaust aperture, in combination with means for conveying off the roducts of combustion exhausting throug the gate aperture, said means including a flue, and a hinged continuation thereof normally disposed in alignment with and closely adjacent the gate-aperture, said continuation being hingedly swingable relatively to the shell and its gate for permitting swingable movement of the gate.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

TANNIE LEWIN. 

